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December 18, 2011

The strong competitors in the tech market: Android and Apple

Nobody could have predicted the Android’s huge success this year. But thanks to Google for making it a freeware and allowing its apps to be sold without any cost that Android has become so popular. However, this doesn’t mean Apple has been dislodged from its formidable position as it is still regarded as one of the most reliable and successful platform for mobile devices.

According to the numbers, Android apps have overtaken Apple’s as it accounts for 44 percent of the applications, compared to 31 percent share from Apple. The numbers have risen sharply for Android as more people are moving from other platforms to Android, thanks to the increasing number of Android-based gadgets in the market. However, if we talk in terms of quality of apps then Apple scores over Android as it closely monitors the quality of apps, while Android is an open market. Anyone can upload his/her Android application on the Android app store and there is a plethora of low-quality apps there. This means you might have to spend more time in finding the best Android app for your device while trying your hands on different applications that serve the same purpose. Apple might have lagged behind in terms of numbers, but has some of the major app development companies selling on its app store. It remains to be a more serious market for the commercial apps.

Android being an open-platform to develop and sell apps offers more opportunities and freedom in terms of apps development. On the other hand, if you have developed an app for the iPhone or iPad you might have to wait for few weeks to get it approved. However, making applications for Android is much harder as it depends on the hardware and the type of device. Currently, there is a wide variety of Android devices and your app might not work on most of them. Developers are surer in this regard with Apple’s platform as they know there won’t be a new gadget released every day.

If we talk about the type of apps, 65-70 percent of apps in the Android market are free as compared to 30 percent of those in Apple’s app store. This means that there is more money in app development for the iPhone or iPad. However, many users might choose Android for the same reason as they won’t have to pay anything for a similar app on their Android device. The quality is a major factor in this as many users won’t mind paying extra bucks for a quality app that offers better user experience.

Android is still on the rise and Google has to do a number of tweaks to make the Android market more favorable to users as well as developers. Apple might continue to dominate the market of mobile gadgets till Google gets its act together. However, the lure of being a freeware that allows people to develop and download for free seems to be a major advantage for Android and this might help it in becoming the leading platform in the near future.